SP’s leader hints at ‘growing distance’ between Akhilesh Yadav and Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata, June 15 (IANS) A statement by a top Samajwadi Party (SP) leader in Kolkata on Monday triggered speculations about the growing distance between former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and SP president Akhilesh Yadav and former West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee.

SP’s national vice‑president and former Rajya Sabha member Kiranmoy Nanda, while speaking to media persons in Kolkata, launched a scathing attack on Mamata Banerjee for being in denial mode in graciously accepting Trinamool’s defeat in the recently concluded West Bengal Assembly polls.

“However, she might be in denial mode; the fact is that the people of West Bengal rejected her party. The people did not want her party to be in power. Mamata Banerjee herself got defeated. Previously, too, she was personally defeated. Even then, she refused to accept her personal defeat graciously. She is doing the same thing this time as well. The fact is that the majority of voters in Bhabanipur Assembly constituency rejected her this time,” Nanda told media persons.

Incidentally, after the results of the West Bengal elections were announced on May 4, Akhilesh Yadav came to Kolkata, went to Mamata Banerjee’s residence and expressed solidarity with her claims that Trinamool had been forcefully and unconstitutionally defeated in the Assembly because of an alleged conspiracy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Nanda also explained why his leader, Akhilesh Yadav, expressed solidarity with Mamata Banerjee’s claims about Trinamool’s defeat in the Assembly elections.

According to Nanda, that action on the part of his leader was driven by political compulsions due to the opposition Indian National Development Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc. “The reality is that the people of West Bengal have thoroughly rejected the Trinamool Congress this time,” Nanda said.

In the past, Nanda had served as the West Bengal Fisheries Minister during the previous Left Front regime, when SP was a part of the West Bengal Left Front. However, soon after ousting the 34‑year Left Front rule in 2011, Nanda shifted his base to Lucknow and also became an SP member of the Rajya Sabha.

–IANS

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